HOW DO MUSLIM MEN IN THE UK EMPLOY RELIGION AS A COPING METHOD WITH ISLAMOPHOBIA?

Authors : Durali Karacan

Pages : 17-28

Doi:10.30627/cuilah.1437973

View : 80 | Download : 62

Publication Date : 2024-06-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :The purpose of this article is to investigate the experiences of Muslim males in the UK who employ their religious beliefs as a way of coping with Islamophobia. However, the objective of this study is not to draw broad conclusions regarding Muslim males in the UK. On the contrary, the aim is to conduct an extensive examination of the ways in which Muslim males residing in the UK use their religious convictions as a means of managing Islamophobia, drawing from their own lived experiences. Muslims in the UK encounter many challenges due to their intersecting identities, and the increasing level of Islamophobia, prejudice, and discrimination has further complicated their lives. Religion and spirituality are frequently employed as coping strategies to navigate challenging circumstances, especially among minority populations, and Muslim men in the UK effectively utilise their religious convictions to deal with the effects of Islamophobia. Adopting qualitative research methodology, employing semi-structured individual in-depth interviews with Muslim men in the UK, and applying Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA), the research findings revealed that Muslim males in the UK employ their religious beliefs to cope with Islamophobia, mostly by seeing Islamophobic occurrences as a divine test from Allah, known as Qadar, leaving the rest to Allah, demonstrating strong faith, and engaging in prayer to Allah. Moreover, the employing of religious beliefs as a coping mechanism against Islamophobia appears to be increasingly common among Muslim men, particularly when members of their family are subjected to Islamophobic attacks when Muslim men are not present.
Keywords : Din Psikolojisi, İslamofobi, Müslüman erkekler, başa çıkma mekanizması, Birleşik Krallık